Increasingly, said Roberson, residents are feeling too comfortable within the confines of their neighborhood. For that reason, he said, residents are more likely to:

Leave valuable items in plain sight within their vehicles

Leave their cars unlocked--sometimes even with a set of spare keys in them

The majority of car-related burglaries in Homewood, said Roberson--as high as 85-90 percent--occur because thieves find it easy to simply open a car door and take what they want. Of that majority, he said, almost all involve items left in plain sight.

"We have caught a number of (burglars) who will tell you, 'if I don't break a window, if you leave your car unlocked, it's not stealing,'" said Roberson about the mindset of some of the burglars they have arrested. "They truly believe they aren't stealing."

It's a mindset, he said, that can likely be attributed to the age of the burglars. The majority of the offenders who have been caught are high school-aged students in their teens and young men in their early 20s. Of the youngest apprehended, said Roberson, are young boys between the ages of 14 and 16.

The ages, while perhaps alarming, are not surprising to veterans like Roberson--especially in the summer. During those sweltering months, he said, bored teenagers who have nowhere to be and nothing better to do play dangerous games with the law.

This summer in particular, he said, groups of youngsters have been known to pile into cars and drive to the suburbs with burglary on their minds. Once inside a neighborhood, they spread out, charged with pulling on car doors in search of unlocked vehicles.

This most recent tactic, said Roberson, can be attributed to the scheming of more seasoned criminals. Older burglars--who would be more severely charged with crimes--are purposefully recruiting minors to do the dirty work for them; they sit in the car and wait while the youngsters head into the neighborhoods. It's a strategy that the department has run into "several times," said Roberson.

That ease in transportation--of getting into and out of neighborhoods--is the area's third weak spot, Roberson pointed out.

Criminals have been targeting places like Homewood because of the perfect combination of those weak spots:

They know people in the area are likely to have expensive items

They know people feel safe in upscale communities, which makes them more likely to be careless with their valuables--to leave them in plain sight and not properly locked away

They know how quick and easy it is to get away. Homewood, Roberson reminds residents, is surrounded by quick access to various highways.

These criminals, he said, aren't native to the area--they are entering both Homewood and Mountain Brook from outlying areas. The commute to the suburbs, he said, is for criminals akin to a drive to work.

"Just like someone may commute from Vestavia Hills to the heart of the City of Birmingham for work, these criminal elements are doing the same thing," he said. "They drive a little bit further to work, they get in the car in Birmingham and other surrounding areas, drive to cities like Homewood and Mountain Brook and that's where they find their victims."

One group that has since been apprehended, for example, was caught in a car that was registered in Shelby County. The group had ties in Birmingham, said Roberson, and they knew the general area of Homewood. Their crime spree first began in Fultondale, where they stole a car, and continued into Ensley, where they stole another car before finally being apprehended. After the arrest, said Roberson, officers discovered that the gun they had been using was stolen out of Center Point.

"These are very mobile groups of young criminals," said Roberson.

After all, he said, it takes only about 20 seconds for an experienced car burglar to be in and out with what they want.

"They are the eyes and ears of the police department," said Roberson. "I'm a firm believer in neighborhood watch. I'd like to have them all over Homewood and I think most Police Chiefs would mirror that sentiment."

Lakeshore Estates resident Laura Eanes is one such Homewood resident who's stepped up for the call. Eanes and her neighbors today rely on technology to help keep their neighborhood safe.

When Eanes and fellow residents needed help organizing a neighborhood meeting with Homewood Police Sgt. Juan Rodriquez, they relied on the help of Nextdoor.com. The social network-inspired website helps neighbors connect through online threads on a variety of topics.

Crucial to their neighborhood, said Eanes, are threads related to neighborhood crimes and security.

"For better or for worse," said Eanes, "we are definitely more in the know anytime something happens."

The site's handy smartphone app, she said, helps ensure that the ability to share important information is always at one's fingertips--tips about a suspicious car or a recent break-in, for example.

The site is more beneficial than other social networking sites, said Eanes, because Nextdoor users are required to provide proof that they live within a neighborhood in order to gain access to topic threads.

"It's definitely united us as a neighborhood," she said. "We do what we need to do to keep our neighborhood safe. Our awareness is at an all-time high."

Eanes said she and her neighbors are working to create a more formal neighborhood watch through the Homewood Police Department.